


You Never Know What People Have Up Their Sleeves

by ShowMeAHero



Category: Daredevil (TV), Marvel
Genre: 5+1 Things, Established Relationship, Fluff, Friendship, Humor, Identity Reveal, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-20
Updated: 2015-05-20
Packaged: 2018-03-31 09:59:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3973864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShowMeAHero/pseuds/ShowMeAHero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five times Karen almost found out about Daredevil, and one time she actually did.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Never Know What People Have Up Their Sleeves

**Author's Note:**

> An amalgamation of prompts from Cheyenne led to this.
> 
> Title taken from "Ours" by Taylor Swift.

**1.**

Karen was surprised to find the door to the office already unlocked when she arrived at eight in the morning. She opened the door hesitantly, sticking her head in, looking into Matt’s office first and finding him rubbing at his jaw.

“Hello?” Karen called. Matt’s head snapped up, and Foggy appeared in the doorway of his office in a heartbeat.

“Hey!” he said, too quickly. Karen squinted at him as she shut the door behind her.

“Are you… wearing makeup?” Karen asked. Foggy’s hand immediately went to his eye, then flew back down to his side. Matt was standing in his own doorway when Karen glanced over at him. “Okay, _you_ definitely are.”

“We offered to be… test… subjects,” Foggy explained slowly. Karen raised an eyebrow at him. She dropped her bag beside her chair and started sorting through the mail on the edge of her desk.

“Test subjects,” she repeated, and Foggy nodded. Matt ran a hand through his hair. “For what?”

“For makeup, obviously, Karen,” Foggy answered, rubbing at his neck for a second before dropping his hand. Karen nodded once, as if in understanding, her gaze lingering on Foggy’s neck for a moment. She shrugged.

“Alright,” she allowed. Matt raised his head, his brow furrowed. “Where were you guys last night, anyways? I must’ve called you five times.”

“Uhh…” Matt answered eloquently. Foggy moved further into the room, clapping her on the shoulder.

“Sorry, we had a… potential client,” Foggy told her. Karen shook her head, trying not to smile.

“The same one using you as guinea pigs for foundation?” Karen asked, touching Foggy’s neck and coming away with foundation on her fingertips. “This isn’t really your skin tone, by the way.”

“I know, it’s Matt’s,” Foggy grumbled. “He was… the original test subject.”

Matt shifted, rubbing at the stitches on his shoulder that Foggy had sewed in last night. He had broken his nose and had two black eyes, hence his foundation. He had accidentally panicked and punched Foggy when he rolled in through his window at night, not at all expecting Foggy to be awake and on the sofa, hence the foundation on Foggy’s face. Matt had apologized, hence the foundation on Foggy’s neck.

“Okay, whatever,” Karen murmured, lifting up an envelope. “Looks like we’re in business today, boys.”

“Music to my ears,” Foggy exclaimed, throwing an arm across Karen’s shoulders and reeling her in. She laughed, thrown off balance. Matt grinned.

 

**2.**

“Where do you want me to put this old file box?” Karen asked, kicking Matt’s front door shut behind her. Foggy dropped the groceries on the kitchen counter while Matt felt along the wall to his bedroom.

“Just over there, is fine,” Matt answered, yawning and scrubbing a hand through his hair. Karen looked in the general direction he waved in and was happy to see a sort-of closet. She eyed the padlock on the closet door, shrugged, and dug around along the sides of the closet until she found a key hidden in the hose next to it. She unlocked the door and it swung open.

“Just anywhere in here?” Karen called, setting the box down beside a trunk. “What’s in the trunk, Matt?”

Matt stuck his head out of his bedroom door, clad in his sweatpants and thick wool socks, his dress shirt hanging off of him. Foggy skid to Karen’s side.

“It’s nothing,” Foggy answered at the same time Matt said, “It’s just my dad’s old stuff.”

Karen raised an eyebrow at Foggy. “That’s not really nothing.”

Foggy rubbed at the back of his neck. “Uhm. I didn’t know if he’d want to share.”

Karen leaned down, popping open the trunk and running her fingertips over Battlin’ Jack Murdock’s robe. She glanced over at Matt, who was standing, hunched a bit, in his bedroom doorway, trying not to look too obviously worried. She looked back up at Foggy, who grinned nervously at her. She bit back a sigh.

“That’s nice, Matt,” Karen commented, tucking the trunk back into the closet and relocking the padlock. Matt passed by them, handing a pair of sweatpants to Foggy as he went.

“If you unpack the groceries and ask real nicely, I’ll make you Irish stew,” Foggy blurted abruptly. He spun around to go back into Matt’s kitchen. “Did we get carrots? Tell me we got carrots, Karen.”

“We got carrots, Foggy,” Karen reminded him, reaching into one of the reusable grocery bags and resurfacing with carrots. He took them in the hand not holding his sweatpants and slammed them both on the counter.

“Let’s do this!” Foggy declared. Karen shook her head. Matt started fishing through the grocery bags for the potatoes.

 

**3.**

“Oh, my God, Foggy, look at that!” Karen exclaimed, pointing up at the television above Josie’s counter. Foggy leaned up and turned the volume up on the television as a news story about Daredevil started up on the screen. Foggy immediately blanched.

“Oh, no, Karen, I don’t know if-”

“I know you don’t like him, Foggy, but I think he’s doing a good thing,” Karen interrupted. Foggy seemed unable to tear his eyes off of the television streaming blurry footage of a supposed Daredevil attack. “See? That looks like some of Fisk’s leftover players. He’s taking them down for us.”

“Yeah,” Foggy agreed absently. Karen frowned at him, then leaned up a little to see the television better. The image froze on a close-up of Daredevil while the journalist continued to report the breaking story. Karen glanced at Foggy, who seemed completely focused on Daredevil on the screen. She squinted at the picture of Daredevil.

“Look at his mouth,” Karen commented unexpectedly. Foggy raised an eyebrow, still not looking at her.

“What about his mouth?” Foggy replied hesitantly. Karen pointed at Daredevil’s jawline.

“He looks so familiar. See?” Karen traced the line of his jaw to his chin. “I… I don’t know, I feel like I know him.”

“He saved you in that alley that one time, didn’t he?” Foggy asked, a little too loudly. Karen nodded, sitting down on her barstool again. The journalist was now saying they had lost eyes on Daredevil for the past thirty minutes now. The door to the bar swung open, and Karen and Foggy both spun around.

“Matt!” Karen called. Foggy banged on the barstool next to him. “Over here!”

Matt made his way over to the familiar counter, taking the offered barstool. Karen frowned slightly at his profile before Foggy obstructed her view, clapping Matt on the shoulder.

“Good to see you, man, glad you’re alright,” Foggy said, his voice low. Karen raised an eyebrow again as she took a sip of her drink.

 

**4.**

Karen dragged herself out of bed to answer the ear-splitting knocking at her front door that had woken her up. She tossed her robe on as she made her way over, looking through her peephole. She saw two people apparently leaning against her door, and she sighed. She undid the deadbolt, unlocked the door, and opened it. Foggy fell to the floor; Matt just stumbled, catching himself on the doorframe before he started laughing at Foggy.

“What the hell, guys?” Karen asked, trying not to smile as she watched Matt attempt to help Foggy to his feet.

“We had a celebratory night!” Foggy cheered, spreading his arms wide and nearly punching a still-laughing Matt in the face. “Where were you?”

“I’ve been asleep since eleven, like a normal person,” Karen answered. “Why are you drinking so late?”

“Matt got home late! Celebratory!” Foggy answered. Karen smiled.

“Home?”

“I drank an eel,” Matt whispered loudly near Karen’s ear. Karen swatted him away, laughing.

“Been there,” Karen moved back to let Matt and Foggy inside before shutting and locking her door again. “I’ll pull out the couch, stay standing and _don’t vomit_.” Karen threw the couch cushions aside and started pulling out the futon. Foggy attempted to help, tugging at one side while Matt stood facing a wall, feeling out a picture frame.

“What’s in this?” Matt asked suddenly. Karen looked at him over her shoulder.

“It’s a picture of me and my dog from when I was a kid,” Karen answered. “What were you guys celebrating, anyways?”

“Matt came home, I told you,” Foggy replied, sliding across the wooden floor in his socks - and _when_ did he remove his shoes - when he tried to pull a fitted sheet over the futon mattress.

“Why is this cause for celebration?” Karen asked. Matt turned abruptly, tipping over and falling against the bookcase. A knick-knack got knocked off, and Matt reached out and grabbed it before Karen could see him.

“Because I got mugged!” Matt nearly shouted. Foggy stared hard at him before snapping his fingers.

“Yeah! Matt got _mugged_ but Daredevil _saved_ him!” Foggy shouted back. Karen shushed him and finished dressing the mattress. She dropped two pillows from the closet on the futon and motioned to it.

“I’m glad for Matt,” Karen answered. Foggy snagged Matt’s sleeve and toppled over onto the mattress, dragging Matt down with him.

“I’m glad Matt’s okay,” Foggy agreed, dragging his hands all over Matt. Karen dropped a blanket over them.

“Goodnight, idiots,” Karen said fondly, leaving them to (hopefully) sleep.

 

**5.**

“Matt!” Karen called, knocking on Matt’s unlocked front door a couple of times before pushing her way into the apartment. “You home?”

The sound of something heavy hitting the ground reached her ears, and she frowned, making her way inside and shutting the door behind her with a soft _click_.

“Matt? Are you okay?” Karen asked loudly. Something else hit the ground, and it sounded like something was sliding across the floor.

“I’m fine!” Matt answered. “It’s fine, just- Stay there, hold on, I’m-”

“What the hell, Matt?” Karen asked, standing in the entry to the main part of Matt’s apartment. Matt froze in tugging off his cowl. “What- Are you wearing- Is that _Daredevil_?”

“Uhm,” Matt answered. “...No. Well. Yes.”

“Why are you dressed as Daredevil, Matt?” Karen asked, her heart pounding.

“For Halloween,” Matt blurted. Karen frowned at him as he successfully removed the cowl. He stripped himself of the rest of the costume in record speed. “It’s a Halloween costume I’ve been working on.”

Karen dropped her bag on Matt’s sofa. “I didn’t know you could sew.” She took the costume from Matt’s desperate hands. “Is this real armor?”

“I wanted it to be authentic,” Matt replied weakly. He grabbed at the back of his sofa, coming up with a Columbia t-shirt that Karen was sure she had seen Foggy wearing at some point. She raised her eyebrows and dropped the costume on the sofa.

“Uhm. Okay.” Karen fought back a laugh. “Not for any other reason? Roleplay? Party? Anything like that?”

Matt’s cheeks went bright red. “...No. ...No? No.”

“Say it one more time, Matt, I didn’t hear you,” Karen teased. “Are these real billy clubs?”

“Authentic,” Matt repeated helplessly. Karen snorted, covering her face with her hand.

“You guys are so weird,” Karen commented, watching as Matt tugged his sweatpants on. He frowned in her general direction.

“Who?” Matt asked, brow furrowed. Karen laughed again.

“Never mind. Just put some clothes on, Foggy’s on his way over and I want Thai.”

 

**+1**

“Okay, that’s it!” Karen exclaimed, slamming her palms down on the table in the conference room. Matt and Foggy both jumped, pulling away from one another where their heads were bowed, discussing a file between them. “I know. Alright? I know. You don’t have to keep it a secret anymore.”

Matt blanched, all the color draining from his face. Foggy frowned at her.

“You know?”

“I know!” Karen threw her hands up in the air, falling back in her chair. “I’m sick of you guys keeping a secret from me. You’re not even good at lying.”

“How long have you known?” Matt asked, looking like he was about to either vomit or pass out. Maybe both. His hands were shaking before he put them in his lap under the table.

“I don’t know, it’s been kind of obvious since I met you?” Karen replied. Foggy’s brow furrowed.

“Really? I didn’t even know then.” Foggy turned to Matt. “Did you know she knew?”

“Obviously not,” Matt replied softly. “Karen, I am _so sorry_ we didn’t tell you, and I am so, _so_ sorry that-”

“Don’t apologize, Matt,” Karen interrupted. “I mean, definitely apologize for not telling me, but it’s okay with me.”

“Really?” Foggy asked, glancing anxiously at Matt.

“Foggy couldn’t get enough apologies when he found out,” Matt told her. Foggy and Karen both stared at each other, neither of them blinking. Foggy pointed at her. Karen opened her mouth, then shut it again. Matt’s brow knit together. “What’s going on?”

“What are you talking about?” Foggy demanded. Karen pointed in Foggy’s face.

“What are _you_ talking about?” Karen echoed. They frowned at the same time.

“The fact that I’m Daredevil?” Matt answered, clearly confused. Karen’s hands flew to her mouth.

“Matt, you’re Daredevil?” Karen picked up a file and whacked Matt on the shoulder with it. “Matt, what the _hell?_ ”

“What were you talking about?” Foggy commanded. Karen smacked Foggy with the file before falling back into her seat.

“We are going to talk about this.” Karen dropped the file onto the table with a sharp _smack_. “I can’t _believe_ -”

“Karen,” Matt interrupted. “What did you think we were keeping from you?”

“The fact that you two are together?” Karen answered slowly. The room was silent for a moment before Foggy started laughing. Matt, his face still drained of color, smiled.

“We’re not keeping that from you, Karen,” Matt assured her. “That’s not really a secret.”

Karen dropped her hands onto her face, rubbing at her skin. “What the hell, guys?”

“We live together, Karen,” Foggy pointed out. He dug for a chain around his neck tucked under his button-down shirt and pulled out a cross and a ring. He pulled an identical chain out from underneath Matt’s shirt. “What did you think these were?”

“I… never noticed that,” Karen admitted. She paused for a second. “Holy shit, you guys are together.”

“And Matt is Daredevil, don't forget,” Foggy added, and Matt smacked him in the chest.

“This is a lot of information to get all at once,” Karen murmured, dropping her head into her hands. She scratched at her scalp. “You never tripped into a doorknob.”

“Nope.”

“Didn’t get mugged.”

“No.”

“No car accidents.”

“Not one.”

Karen glanced up at him. “ _Obviously_ you’re Daredevil. How did I not see that before?”

“Apparently, you were too busy figuring out that we were together,” Matt answered, and Foggy snickered. Karen lobbed her orange at him, and Matt snatched it out of the air before it could hit Foggy’s nose. They all fell silent.

“You’re going to explain yourself,” Karen said, starting to pack up her stuff. “You’re both going to buy me drinks, you’re both going to explain yourselves, and you’re both going to _never_ lie to me _ever_ again.”

“Deal,” Foggy agreed immediately, straightening out the files spread across the table with one hand and taking an orange slice from Matt, who was carefully peeling the orange.

“Deal,” Matt parroted, a segment of orange in his mouth. Foggy kissed his cheek. Karen stole the orange back and hit both of them with a file again.

 

**Author's Note:**

> My notes said:  
> 1\. foggy can't lie for shit  
> 2\. matt can't hide his keys like a human and karen easily gets into his closet  
> 3\. karen recognizes the lower half of daredevil's face because seriously? NOBODY knows the lower halves of their friends' faces?  
> 4\. matt and foggy get blitzed and somehow lie better than usual but still can't lie for shit  
> 5\. karen finds matt in the daredevil suit and thinks he and foggy are into some weird roleplay shit but she also thinks it's hilarious  
> +1. nobody knows what anyone is talking about but everyone finds out everything and karen takes everything remarkably well
> 
> You can follow me on Twitter at [@nicoIodeon](https://twitter.com/nicoIodeon) or on Tumblr at [andillwriteyouatragedy](http://andillwriteyouatragedy.tumblr.com/).


End file.
